Loved and Lost
by LauralovesPLL
Summary: ONE-SHOT. On the verge of losing herself completely, Aria goes back home to regroup and start over again. Will she be able to find her old self? Who will help her be herself again? Aria's POV.


I climbed out of my car, feeling the cool autumn breeze hit my face. I walked over to the large oak tree, letting my fingertips graze the bark. My eyes shut for a moment, reminiscing in the touch and feel of what was my childhood. I'd ask my mother to bring me out here every day when I was seven. I'd love to climb the old tree and look out across the open field surrounding it, thinking of how beautiful, yet simple it was. I'd bring my journal, too, and write about anything going on in my life at the time. This place inspired me to write and to feel. It inspired me to be myself. My eyes opened once more as I placed my hands into the pockets of my white sweater.

When I was seven years old, I dreamt only every day for my twentieth birthday, but now that it is finally here, I'd give anything to go back to being seven. Being innocent and tenderhearted. Not caring what other people thought of you. Not caring about love or relationships or the hardships of life, and only caring about being you. Now that has become hard for me to do. It seems that three years away from home really can change you. Everyone I love is gathered at my old home, waiting for their little girl to get there. However, I'm not even sure I'm that little girl anymore. I don't know who I am anymore. That is the reason I moved back home. I was raised where everyone said "home is where the heart is", and I just hope all of those people were right.

My feet shuffled through the colorful leaves of the fall as I walked toward the middle of the open field, listening to all of the beautiful nature sing the song of the season. As I reached the center of the grassy plain, I lay down and just stayed silent. The birds were chirping away in the woods across from me, happy for the cool weather. Animals were out and about, getting ready for the winter season. I think I missed this the most. Being with nature almost all the time was so peaceful. However, I lost everything I used to be when I moved away. If I knew then that I wouldn't find what I was looking for in California, I would've never left. I thought I would live my dream to sing and act, but that never happened. I thought I knew what I wanted, but I didn't even realize all of that stuff wasn't me. I guess I listened to what society wants instead of my heart. But, that is what happens when you lose who you really are. I finished high school early, left home on my seventeenth birthday, moved to Los Angeles, and never looked back. Every now and then I would call and ask how everyone was doing, but other than that, I left my whole world behind. The person I had become didn't care about my family or friends but about my dreams and material things. Hell, it wasn't until my mother called, crying and saying she missed me that I realized I needed to get home. I had been away so long that I almost forgot completely of where I belonged. It's been three years I had been gone without coming home once. Three years is way too long.

"_Aria, sweetie, come see me, please," my mother's melodic voice echoed through the open space. I looked up from my spot in the center of the field, smiling brightly. I jumped to my feet as she motioned for me to go to her. My long brown hair flowing behind me as I ran to her, flashing my two missing front teeth while my polka dotted dress rose a little with every leap until I was on her lap. _

"_Ma'am," I asked softly, wrapping my arms around her neck._

_She looked down at me with a soft smile, "Baby, you didn't tell me Hanna was having a birthday party tonight," she asked me, twirling one of my locks around her finger._

_My eyes travelled to my lap as I swallowed, "That's because I wasn't invited." My voice was very meek as tears began to well in my hazel eyes. "None of them like me."_

"_That's not true," she said, lifting my face up to look into her eyes, "Aria, you are the most precious little girl out of the whole first grade."_

"_You think so," my fingers played with her hair as I waited for a reply._

"_Oh, I know so," she rubbed her nose against mine, making me giggle softly, "I want you to always remember who you are. You are my Aria. My smart, sweet, beautiful little Aria." Her arms enveloped me into a tight embrace._

_My mind raced for a moment, "Momma, do you think I will make any friends?"_

_Her heart broke for a moment as she quickly replied, "Of course, my angel. Remember how I told you we were getting some new neighbors down the street? Well, it just so happens that they have a kid a grade ahead of you. They get here in a couple of weeks. From what Daddy says, their child is pretty much just like you."_

"_I really hope she likes me," I said softly._

"_Aria, if she likes you, that's great, but if she doesn't, baby, that is her loss. I don't want you to change who you are because of someone else, okay? Promise Mommy you won't ever do that," she pressed her forehead against mine and stared into my eyes._

"_I promise," I held out my pinky as she twirled her own around it. "Do you think that new kid likes to write, too?"_

"_Possibly," she raised her eyebrows and smiled brightly, "It's a good thing you said something, because I almost forgot." She reached into her purse and pulled out a small purple journal that had "Aria" engraved in the front cover. "I know how big your imagination is, so instead of having to write your stories in your reading notebook, you can have your very own."_

_My eyes lit up as I gently took it from her hands, "Just for my writing?"_

"_Just for writing," she repeated. "Now every time we come to 'Aria's Plain', you can bring your journal and write until we go home if you'd like."_

"_Thank you, Mom," I said, kissing her lips briefly before scurrying up the large oak tree to unleash my thoughts and feelings._

A single tear rolled down my cheek as I remembered my promise, which I had long forgotten about, with my mother. That promise was broken the day I left for California. I sat up in the grass, wiping the lone tear and looking off into the afternoon sun. That day, back when I was only a child, was the most special moment to me. Well, except that day I met my neighbor. That is a day I will certainly never forget. You only get to meet your one true love one time, after all.

"_I really hope she likes me," I took in a deep breath as I smoothed out my brand new skirt, "Are we almost there?"_

"_Yes, honey," Dad confirmed as we turned into a concrete driveway two blocks away from our house, "We are here."_

"_I'm so nervous," I mumbled to myself as we walked up to the door. I watched as my father rang the doorbell. After a moment or two, the door opened to reveal a man and a woman, but no daughter._

"_Hello, Byron," the man said, sticking out his hand, "You already know my wife, Diane, and myself, Dylan Fitz. Ezra and Wesley will be out in a second."_

"_Yes," I thought to myself, "Ezra for me, Wesley for Mike." I looked over to my brother, who smiled at me softly._

_Mr. Dylan let us go into their new home and called for their children as my family and I waited in the living room along with Mr. and Mrs. Fitz. Mr. Dylan looked down at me and smiled, "Aria, Ezra has been looking forward to meeting you for the past couple of weeks. I think you two will really like each other."_

"_Me, too," I replied as two shadows appeared behind me. I smiled and turned, only to find two boys facing me. "Where's Ezra?" I asked, looking around for a daughter._

"_I'm Ezra," the taller boy with extremely blue eyes replied. "Where's Aria?"_

"_I'm Aria," I said softly._

"_But, you're a girl," he said as his eyes went wide._

"_Well, you're a boy," I said in disgust._

"_Ew, gross," we said simultaneously as we ran to our parents, who were trying so desperately not to laugh. _

"_Ezra Michael Fitz, be nice to Aria, please," Mrs. Diane scolded him, "I promise once you both get to know each other, you will be the best of friends. Now, go and show her around, please."_

"_But, Dad," Ezra whispered to his father, "She's a girl."_

"_Son, give her a chance," he said, shaking a hand in his hair. "Go."_

_He sighed softly and turned around. He walked slowly up to me, who had my head buried deeply into my mother's shoulder. He gently tapped on my arm, causing me to turn and look at him, "I like your skirt."_

"_Thank you," I wiped away my tears on my cheeks from being so embarrassed._

_He cleared his throat softly and held out his hand, "I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. Do you want to go outside with me? We could go in my tree house?"_

"_Tree house," I asked excitedly, jumping off my mother's lap and grabbing Ezra's hand," What are we waiting for, let's go."_

"_Look how cool," my eyes wondered all over the little house, filled with drawings and books, "You like to read and write and draw, too?"_

"_Yeah," he told me, "You do, too?"_

"_Yes," I exclaimed, looking over to him._

_He smiled softly and looked into my eyes, "Do you want to be my best friend?"_

"_As long as you never hurt me again," I responded._

"_Never again."_

"_Best friends?"_

"_Best friends."_

I laughed quietly, reminiscing in that moment. I haven't seen Ezra in years. I left him like he didn't mean anything to me, when in reality, he was my world, my rock, and my, well, best friend. Not long after we met, we did everything together. Everyone was extremely jealous of the amount of time I got to spend with him. Especially the girls in our grade. High school was hell. Everyone was growing up and getting all boy crazy, and the boys, girl crazy, and, of course, my best friend was the hottest guy in our grade. From his gorgeous blue eyes, to his black converse shoes, he had girls swooning over him left and right.

"_So what are you doing this weekend," Ezra asked me as we walked through the doors of Rosewood High. "If you're not busy, we could go out to dinner and a movie."_

_I thought for a moment as we reached my locker, "I don't think I have anything. Sure, it sounds fun." I smiled at him genuinely as he took my hand in his._

"_Well, how about we meet up at my car after school and we can decide on what movie to go see," I nodded softly as he leaned in and kissed my cheek, "I have to get to last period before Mr. Johnson yells at me again for being late. See you later."_

"_Bye," I replied, grabbing the books I needed for my next class. After quickly retrieving them from the shelf, I closed the little door to find Alison, Hanna, Emily, and Spencer waiting for me. "May I help you," I asked. After they didn't respond, I tried to walk around them, but they stopped me, "What do you want? I have to get to class."_

"_So I've been seeing you and your boy toy around school a lot lately," Alison said, looking at me with disgust, "You're such a little tramp aren't you?"_

_I scrunched up my face in confusion and annoyance, "What the hell are you talking about? Who is my 'boy toy', because as far as I know, I'm single?" _

"_The one who you are going to the movies with this weekend," Hanna chimed in, rolling her eyes._

"_Ezra," I laughed, causing the four to get angrier, but I just couldn't help it, "Ezra and I are just friends."_

_The group giggled obnoxiously as Spencer spoke up, "Yeah, right. Friends with benefits, maybe. The entire ninth grade already knows what you two did on your fourteenth birthday. Getting it on with a tenth grader is naughty, you bad girl." The girls chuckled once more._

"_I have no clue what you people are talking about," as I tried to walk past them once more, Alison pushed me back, causing me to fall, scattering my books all over the floor. "What the hell, Ali?"_

_The feisty blonde bent down to me as I lay on the floor, "Ezra will be mine. Do you hear me? Stay away from him, or else I will make the rest of your year miserable. Do not underestimate me. You have no idea of what I am capable of." As she stood back up, someone came walking down the hallway. "Jackie! Jackie, look what we found. I'm pretty sure you remember Aria Montgomery, right?"_

_I closed my eyes tightly as Ezra's ex-girlfriend joined the group. She was a year ahead of us, and hated me ever since she saw Ezra and I's growing bond. I brought my eyes up to her dark brown ones which seemed to smirk at me. I got to my feet, but as soon as I was back up, I was knocked back to the ground, this time, on my stomach. _

"_Of course I remember her," she said with muse in her voice, "How could I forget the trash that stole my boyfriend away from me."_

"_For the thousandth time, Jackie, I didn't steal him away from you," I defended myself, flipping over on my back to face them._

"_Shut up," she yelled, "You are a boyfriend stealing bitch, and I will make sure everyone knows that."_

"_Hey, someone's coming," Emily called from down the hallway._

_Alison and Jackie looked at me once more and then began to back off, "Let's get out of here." They left; their footsteps echoing loudly as they walked away. _

_I sat up, tears of frustration beginning to fall down my face. My head was throbbing from being thrown onto the floor, and now the girls would start terrible rumors about me. Not bothering to crease my books, I crawled over to the row of lockers and just sat there for the next forty minutes. I listened to the bell ring and decided to get out of there as fast as I could. I collected my books, shoved them into my locker, and went to the student parking lot behind school. Not long after I made it to the car, Ezra was there, too._

"_Hey," he greeted me, opening my door for me to climb into the passenger seat. I didn't respond as I slid in, which gave him a hint something was wrong. He quickly ran to the driver's side, got in, and closed the door, listening to the abnormal silence between the two of them. He looked over to her, noticing her watery hazel eyes, "Aria, what's wrong."_

_He took my hand in his, "Obviously there is something bothering you. Please tell me what's wrong."_

_My eyes looked over to him, seeing worry written all over his face. I breathed in deeply, "This afternoon wasn't that great. Alison and her crew cornered me. Then Jackie joined in."_

_He looked at me with wonder, "Are you okay?" I nodded, sniffing quietly. "Aria, I can promise you that you did nothing wrong. You are the kindest person I know, and they are just jealous."_

"_Why," I squeaked, tears beginning to fall again, "Why are they jealous of me? It's because you are always with me. I don't even know why, anyway. They shouldn't be jealous of me just for that. They are much prettier and popular and any one of them would date you in a heartbeat, but you don't see them." I wiped my eyes and looked out of the window._

_Ezra placed a hand on my knee, squeezing softly, "And you know why I don't see them? Because they aren't you. I don't think I could settle for anyone less than you. To me, you are the most beautiful, sweetest, smartest, funniest girl that I have ever met," he looked down, thinking about what he would say next, "I-I love you."_

_My eyes went wide, "You what?"_

"_I love you," he repeated without missing a beat. "I've always loved you. You don't have to say it back just because I said it, but-," I suddenly crashed my lips to his in a passionate kiss that I had secretly wanted to give to him ever since the fifth grade. I always knew I loved Ezra, but I always denied it, thinking that he would always see me as a friend. However, by the way he is kissing me back; I can tell he had been feeling the same all these years._

_I ran my fingers through his hair as we continued to kiss, savoring in the sweet and blissful moment. One of his hands cupped my cheek as the other one was on my hip. Soon, we were in need for air, so we reluctantly pulled apart, but not after Ezra placed one more soft kiss on my lips. Our foreheads pressed together as we both smiled, happy that we both felt the same way. "I love you, too," I grabbed his hand and squeezed it softly. In that moment I didn't care about what Jackie or Ali or the crew would do to me, I was Ezra's love, and there was nothing they could do about it._

After everyone found out about Ezra and me becoming a couple, they tortured me because of jealousy, but Ezra always reassured me of who I was. Maybe that is the whole reason I lost who I really am. It was because I was only my true self when I was with Ezra. My mind started racing as I thought this through.

My phone went off in my pocket, signaling that it was time for me to get to my parent's place. I took a deep breath and stood. I quickly got into my car and drove off, determined to find the real Aria again. As I drove down the twisty back roads of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, I couldn't help but wonder how Ezra had been. Or even if he was still in Rosewood. I needed to talk to him again, even if it had to be over the telephone. When I had thought back on what we used to be, I caught a glimpse of who I was. I guess that is what love does to you. It makes you forget about everything else except for you and the person who holds your heart. I still love him. I never got over him. I can't believe it took me this long to figure that out. How could I have been so stupid as to leave him? He never hurt me. He never did anything wrong. I didn't realize what I was leaving behind.

Butterflies filled my stomach as I pulled into my old driveway, filled with cars already. I quickly got out of the vehicle and walked up to my front door. Slowly, I stuck my key into the lock and turned it. My breathing hitched as I swung open the door.

The distinct smell of "home" surrounded me and the warmth I once felt in this house was still here, lingering in the depths of my soul, giving me hope that the old me was still there. I looked around the house which hadn't changed a bit throughout the years. I could've just looked around the house for the rest of the day, but from the smell of homemade chocolate chip pancakes wafting out of the kitchen, I knew I had to go and reunite with my wonderful family. I took a deep breath as I rounded the corner and walked quietly into the room. Mom was flipping the batter on the stove, Dad was at the table reading the newspaper, and Mike was digging in the fridge, finding something to eat in the meantime, just like he always had before. My eyes filled with tears as I realized how much he had grown. Obviously, no one had heard me enter, so I took another step into the room.

"I'm home," I said, barely audible, but all of their eyes quickly fell onto me. Their eyes shined as they saw me, causing me to shed a few tears. "I'm finally home." My mom quickly turned off the stove and ran to me first, enveloping me into her loving arms, where I had felt the safest. She always made me feel loved beyond any other being. I never knew how great it felt to be in my mother's arms until I was out of her reach for too long. Now that I was back, I never wanted to leave. My Dad joined in, hugging both me and Mom. He just held me tightly, kissing my head, and whispering how much he loved me into my ear. We stayed in that embrace for what seemed like ages, until they finally let go.

"Oh, my angel, we missed you so much," my mother said, wiping her tears onto the sleeve of her shirt, "You have grown up so much! Look at our little girl, Byron."

I looked toward my father, who was teary eyed, but remained strong, "I see her, and now that I do, you are never leaving my sight again." I laughed along with him at his statement, "Three years is way too long without my little Pookie Bear."

"I'm so sorry I was away for so long," I apologized, wrapping my arms around them once more, "I don't know what I was thinking. Actually, I do. I thought I would find what I needed in California, but what I didn't realize at the time was that I have all that I need here." A few more tears fell as they kissed my head.

"What about me, sis," my eyes shot open and focused on Mike, still in front of the refrigerator with tears falling down his face, "Don't I deserve a hug?"

I ran into his awaiting arms, breaking down in them. He held me firmly against him as I cried into his chest. Even as children, we were extremely close and always had each other's backs. No one ever got away with teasing us if the other was around. Mike always attempted to beat up the guys that messed with me, and I always badmouthed the people who messed with Mike. We were a tag team. We were brother and sister. We loved each other. And as we stood, hugging, I could tell that nothing had ever changed about that. "Mike, I missed you so much," I choked out, pulling back to look him in those emerald green eyes of his.

"You're telling me," he laughed sadly, punching me softly in the shoulder, "You know how hard it was not having my big sister around? I stopped hearing all the latest gossip, didn't help you get a guy's opinion on what to wear, and didn't help you paint your right hand. All of those traditions suddenly stopped."

"You're such a dork," I giggled through my tears, hugging him tightly once more before letting go. I wiped the running mascara from my eyes, which probably looked like a black river falling from my face. I walked over to the stove, sniffing the warm breakfast food, "I see you made my favorite, even if it is the middle of the day."

"Of course," my mom clapped her hands on my shoulder, squeezing them gently, "We knew you were coming today, but I assumed it would be around supper time. I was planning on doing so much more, like baking a cake, getting balloons, buying you every single season of "Lost", and all of that."

"Mom calm down," I told her, amusement in my voice, "Chocolate chip pancakes are more than enough. And besides, I have already watched every season of "Lost" too many times to count," I assured her, brushing it off. "It's fine, really."

"Alright, well, go ahead and take your bags upstairs to your old room," she pointed upstairs. There is a little 'Welcome Home' gift for you in there, by the way."

"Okay," I smiled, grabbed my duffle bags and throwing them over my shoulder, "You guys seriously didn't need to get me anything. Oh, and while I'm up there, I think I'll reapply my makeup, since, you know, it's completely ruined."

"That's fine, baby," Byron told me, "Take all the time you need." I nodded in response, making my way up the stairs.

I took my time walking down the upstairs hallway, filled with photos of our family throughout the ages. I smiled as I saw Ella, Byron, Mike and I posing for our family portrait. As we were posing, however something with the lighting went wrong, causing us all to make extremely weird faces. We retook the picture, but decided to keep this one instead, just to have a laugh every once in a while. I walked a little further, finding the picture of Mike and me at the beach when we were about five and eight. My eyes shifted to the right of that photo, locking onto the small photo booth pictures of none other than me and Ezra. I walked closer, needing to get a better look at him. I needed to physically see him instead of just dreaming about him and thinking about him and wanting to be with him. My fingers reached up and traced his perfect face, wishing it was the real thing, but it wasn't. Sighing, I continued to my bedroom, which hadn't been rearranged or anything.

"My bed," I groaned, throwing the heavy bags on the floor and jumping onto the springy surface. I shut my eyes, taking in everything from being home. It felt so great to be back here, it was unbelievable. I reopened my eyes, shifting them toward my desk, which had a small gift box settled on top. I smiled and rolled my eyes, wishing they hadn't gotten me anything. Reluctantly and curiously, I climbed out of my bed and reached for the box, opening it to reveal a beautiful necklace with a diamond heart in the middle. It was very simple, yet extremely beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. "Oh, wow," I whispered, taking it from the box and walking to my full body mirror that had stayed here over the past years. I placed it against my neck, seeing that it would be perfect for every single outfit I would ever try on. I unclasped the small hook and moved my hair out of the way, trying my hardest to clasp it behind my neck, but failed miserably. I let out a frustrated sigh as my fingers could not do this simple task.

"I could help if you want me to," I stopped dead in my tracks as I heard a voice coming from an unknown place in my room. I held the heart necklace firmly in my hands as I turned around to my door, but found no one lurking by. I whipped my head to the window, seeing just the big oak tree in the yard. I placed the necklace down on my bed quietly as I faced my closet. The doors were closed, but the light was definitely on. I looked around the room, finding an old extra piece of wood on the floor from taking apart some of my furniture. I grasped it in my hands firmly before I quietly made my way to the closed closet. My breathing tethered as I, in one swift motion, swung open the closet doors.

My eyes widened as I stared blankly at the sight in front of me. I took a step back, letting the wood hang limply at my side. My eyes filled with tears as I tried to find the words to speak, but they were all caught in my throat. Finally able to compose words, I swallowed and asked, "Ezra?"

The young man nodded, his bright, piercing blue eyes staring straight into mine, "It's me, Aria. It's me."

"Oh, Ezra," I whispered, dropping the wood and running into his open arms. I jumped up, wrapping both my arms and legs around him. He held my weight as I held him tightly. His hands rubbed up and down my back soothingly as I cried, hard, into his shoulder. It seemed like the tears wouldn't stop coming. They were filled with sorrow, regret happiness, and a whole other mix of emotions. "I'm so sorry," I choked out in between sobs, "I'm so sorry." He continued to try and soothe me, eventually walking over to the bed, where he lay down and pulled me on top. His arms never untangled from me, however. He made sure he stayed, clutching me to his chest until I ultimately ran out of tears.

"Shhh," he whispered, as my ragged sighs filled the room's silence. My body shook uncontrollably, due to the amount of emotions that I had let flee my body all at one instant. The trembling seemed to calm slowly as his body enveloped me into a sea of pure love. I could feel the warmth of his chest radiate against my puffy, red cheeks. His cologne filled my nostrils as my breathing went back to somewhat normal. Once I could see clearly, I lifted my head and looked into those amorous blue eyes of his, wishing I wouldn't have left.

My fingers delicately grazed the curls that sat on his forehead, pushing them back into place. They traveled down the bridge of his nose and to the stubble on his chin. I smiled slightly, rubbing my thumb against his cheek, "Ezra, I am so incredibly sorry for everything I did to you."

"It's alright," he said, running his fingers through my hair lightly.

"No it isn't," I breathed, blinking my eyes to keep the newfound tears away, "I left you for three years. You loved me better than anyone has. Our love was real and amazing, and I let you go, making you feel like you had done something wrong." I shook my head, reliving all of the pain I know I had caused him, "I was so selfish. Hurting you like that is something I must live with every day. I wasn't thinking when I left, obviously."

"Aria-," he began, but I cut him off.

"No, just let me finish," I said, my face tensed with regret, "I changed when I moved away. I wasn't the old Aria you used to know. Once I got back here a few days ago, however, I finally realized the reason for that. I changed because I left you. You make me who I am, Ezra. You complete me, and I was totally lost without you."

"I forgive you," he concluded, turning my head to look back at him, "I've always forgiven you. All I wanted, the day you got on that plane at the airport, was for you to find your dream and live it."

"And I did find my dream," I whispered, "You. You are my dream, Ezra Fitz. I am sorry it has taken me so long to figure it out, but I swear I will make that up to you." He smiled widely at me, before quickly pressing his lips to mine. Out of all the things I missed back home, this was definitely the first one on the list. I grabbed his cheeks, deepening the kiss. It felt like the whole world was lifted off of my shoulders. Like the past barely mattered anymore. Best of all, wrapped up here with Ezra, I finally feel like my old self again, and I know I will never get lost again, either, because I am never leaving his side.

"_Ezra," I lifted my head from his shoulder as we lay in the bed of his truck. We were directly in the center of the open field I called my own, crickets chirping quietly as we sat beneath the stars._

"_Yes, love," he twirled my hair around his finger, looking up at me with curiosity._

"_Do you believe in fate," I asked, drawing circles on his chest, "Or destiny, maybe?" _

_He shrugged, "I'm not sure. Why did you ask that?"_

_I shook my head, hesitant about my answer, "No reason, really. I guess I've been thinking about us lately. I think it was destiny for us to meet. I have never felt this way about anyone before. I just feel so complete with you around. So safe. So warm. I can't really explain it."_

"_I can," he intervened, kissing my nose, "It's love." _

"_I'm serious," I giggled, pushing his chest gently._

"_Me, too," he bumped me back, "Maybe it was destiny that I move into the house down the street from you. Maybe it was fate that made us become best friends. One thing I know for a fact, however, is that our love for each other grew stronger every day until we couldn't deny it anymore. I know exactly how you are feeling right now. I'm not sure if I believe in destiny, but I do believe in 'the one'. And as cliché as it sounds, you are the one for me."_

_I smiled, my eyes filling with tears, "We are only teenagers, Ezra, what do we know about love?"_

"_I know that love is something special; not many people actually fall deep in love. However, what I feel for you is something so deep; it makes me feel like I am on top of the world. It gives me confidence to do anything I want to do." He smiled, trying to get his point across, "Aria, you make me feel better than I ever have. If this isn't love, then I don't know what is. I can't imagine it getting any better than what I have, right now, with you." _

"_You mean that," I asked, my voice cracking toward the end._

"_Every single word," he confirmed. "No matter what happens to us, I guarantee we will be together in the end. Even if we completely forget who we are, we can never, no matter how hard we try, forget the other. We will somehow, some way, meet again. I swear it. That is why I will always wait for you, if that ever was to happen of course."_

"_I love you so much," I whispered, placing a gentle kiss on his lips._

"_I love you, too."_

**Note: Please review (:**


End file.
